Hezar Bouseh

Chapter 10

"What are you wearing?"

Christine looked down uncertainly at the halter neck dress that left her shoulders and her legs from just above her knees bare. She had decided to change out of her jeans into the dress hoping that Erik would like it. His dark blue eyes had darkened even further, so much that she could read nothing in their depths. "You don't like it?"

"I'll never tire of admiring your beauty," he assured her softly as he gently cupped her cheek with his hand and stroked the pad of his thumb over her lips. "You're beautiful. It's just as well dinner is ready; I'll have time to drink in your beauty."

Touched by his compliment, Christine wrapped her arms around Erik's neck and kissed him. That Erik allowed the embrace and returned it with enthusiasm showed just how far they had come in a few short hours. No longer was he terrified that anything could happen to her if he allowed himself to be distracted. It would always be in the back of his mind but he would just have to learn to always be somewhat aware of his surroundings rather than surrender completely to her.

Their afternoon playing in the maze of mirrors had done wonders for both Christine's and Erik's moods. The two were at peace with each other and the situation. Christine was sure that after their time alone, without any interruptions, Erik had given up on the idea of leaving her. She could not live without him any more than he could live without her.

In the back of Christine's mind, however, was a fear of what would happen if her father ever found out about the near attack. He had never taken kindly to any threat to her safety and she knew he would be far from happy about this. That was why she had to keep news of the man breaking into Erik's apartment from him for as long as possible. She had absolutely no intention of telling Charles the truth of what had happened.

As if sensing her wandering thoughts, Erik gently bit Christine's lower lip to pull her back to him and their passionate kiss. Sighing contentedly, she buried her hands in Erik's hair and focused all her attention on him. They would have happily continued for hours if there had not been a knock on the door to Erik's apartment.

"That will be Jasmin and Victor," Christine said unhappily as she pulled away from Erik's lips and tidied his hair, covering any trace of her hands being recently buried there.

Dinner with Jasmin and her husband had, yet again, been Erik's idea. He had decided the polite thing to do would be to invite Jasmin and Victor over for a meal as thanks for the dinner they had hosted a few months ago. When Erik had strongly suggested Christine invite Jasmin, it had been before the chaos of the intruder started. Then, Christine had been uncertain but content to invite her colleague over. But now, with everything going right between her and Erik, spending the evening with Jasmin and her husband was the last thing Christine wanted. But, with the dinner and the menu Erik's idea, Christine was more than happy to make him pay and do the cooking.

Erik ran the pad of his thumb over Christine's swollen lip and then pulled open the door to their guests.

Dinner passed companionably and without any problems. After they had eaten the rice and stew Erik had spent hours frantically preparing since returning from the maze of mirrors, the two couples sat down with a plate of pashmak and dried fruits and cups of chai in the lounge chairs. It was not something Erik would probably have done, but Christine decided she did not care. She was French and their guests were French, too.

In the lounge room, Jasmin and Victor took the three-seater lounge, leaving only the single chair by the window. Immediately, Victor took hold of his wife's hand and placed it on her thigh, his fingers entwined with hers. Although reluctant, Christine settled herself in the chair Erik usually sat in while Erik stood protectively by her side, between her and the window, his free hand playing with the curls that tumbled to her shoulders.

Christine sat forward in her seat and picked up a dried date from the platter for Erik, which she knew was a favourite, and offered it to him. Surprising them all, particularly after the way he had refused to allow her to feed him when they had dinner at Jasmin's house, Erik parted his lips and bit into the dried fruit. Her eyes intense, Christine held Erik's gaze as she ate the other half before calmly reaching for a string of the rose pashmak, which was nothing at all like the fairy floss she was used to in Paris.

When they last had dinner with Jasmin and Victor, their displays of affection had been calculated and contrived. But now, with their love for each other in the open and the trust they had strengthened by dealing with yet another obstacle, the touches they shared were natural. They touched each other because they could not live without the contact, not because they were playing a role and trying to convince others.

"Have you noticed Leroy acting strangely?" Jasmin asked Christine as she took a sip of the tea. "He seems a little more stressed than normal."

Without missing a beat, Christine nodded her head, earning a concerned look from Erik. "His fuse seems shorter; like there's something weighing heavily on his mind. I think it's only a matter of time until whatever is worrying him causes him to snap."

Jasmin nodded, relieved that she was not imagining things but not comforted by the rest of Christine's observation. She did not know how the other woman managed to work so closely with the Ambassador and not worry every time she went into his office that he would scream at her. She had very little to do with him, but still, Jasmin could not help but be nervous whenever she walked through the door.

Erik's hand stilled. The Ambassador's stress could mean nothing or it could mean everything. He still did not know who had ordered that man to install the listening devices in his home – law enforcement arrived before he could ask too many questions – but as far as Erik was concerned, where Christine's safety and privacy were concerned, he would suspect even the President! His concern getting the better of him, Erik's hand tightened in Christine's hair, accidentally tugging at the roots.

"Asalam, there's nothing to worry about," Christine said softly as she took his hand in hers and gently pulled it from her hair. She tangled her fingers with his and tugged on his arm until he perched – awkwardly – on the arm of the chair. "Leroy is far too controlled to ever shout at me at work. You don't have to worry." As she rested her head against his arm, Christine thought Erik relaxed slightly. Whether it was from the contact or her reassurance, she could not know.

Not entirely convinced there was nothing to worry about, but aware that he was making a spectacle of himself, Erik took Christine's empty glass and went to the kitchen to refill it and take some time to get control over his emotions. Christine watched him retreat, worried by his overreaction. Returning a few moments later with a pot of tea, he handed Christine's refilled glass to her and filled Jasmin's and Victor's cups, composed now.

"I can't help but worry about you," he whispered against her ear when he returned to his seat on the arm of the chair.

"I know," Christine agreed as she kissed his cheek and rested her free hand against his mask in a fleeting gesture before wrapping her hand around his. "Did you see the invitation Leroy received yesterday to the banquet at the German Ambassador's home?" Christine asked Jasmin, sipping her second glass of tea.

Jasmin nodded, her eyes wide as she recalled the embossed card that she had seen on Leroy's desk. "I think he'll take you. I would like to go to one of these events."

Victor gave Jasmin's hand a reassuring squeeze, trying to calm her and soothe her jealousy.

Christine shook her head. "No, you wouldn't. It's a night surrounded by men who think they're more important than the one next to him, trying to convince them that they're the smartest and they know the right way to deal with international relations. You're not missing anything."

Erik chuckled at Christine's apt description of the dinner and tapped her teasingly on the chin when she looked questioningly up at him. Her pale blue eyes danced with laughter as she gazed up at him, momentarily forgetting that they had guests.

"We'd better be going," Victor said suddenly, aware that he and Jasmin were close to wearing out their welcome with the couple. He stood and very quickly, everyone else followed. "Would like us to stay and help tidy up? I imagine there are a lot of pots to clean."

Erik, who was already picking up the plate of dried fruit, shook his head. "Thank you, but no. Cleaning up will be Christine's payment for dinner since she didn't help."

Christine laughed, spoke quickly in Persian, surprising Jasmin and Victor, and kissed Erik lightly on his lips – right in front of their guests. Her hands rested on his arms as she looked at his shocked expression before picking up the pot of leftover tea.

"Thank you for dinner," Jasmin said politely a few minutes later once she was again dressed in the Hijab. She had seen the look – desire – that replaced Erik's shocked expression and knew she and Victor had to leave as quickly as possible. Somehow, she did not think there would be any cleaning done tonight.

The door closed behind their dinner guests, Erik grabbed Christine's hips and spun her around to face him so he could kiss her soundly as punishment for the suggestive question she had asked, luckily in Persian, in front of their guests. Enjoying the punishment and deciding that Erik was taking her up on her offer, Christine pulled off his mask, reached blindly for the nearest flat surface to place it on and then twined her arms around his neck.

With a sigh of pure happiness, she returned his kiss, forgetting all about the pile of dishes she was supposed to be washing.

"Hello, Papa," Christine greeted her father brightly when he called on her mobile, three days after that man had been found planting listening devices in Erik's apartment. She was back at work, busy preparing a letter for the Ambassador while Erik was sitting in his usual seat by the door, keeping a protective – and possessive – eye on her.

The protests had ended after almost two weeks. The people who had picketed outside the embassy had finally left the streets when the Ambassador had promised to drop the foreign policy he had been working on for the past few months. It had ended far too quickly for Christine to be entirely convinced that it was truly over. She had been around ambassadors and diplomats enough to know that things were not always as they seemed.

"Is it true, chère?" Charles asked without preamble. If he had been there with his daughter, he would have been pacing, stopping occasionally to look at her with concern. His hair would have been messed from running his fingers through it and his tie would have been skewed.

"Is what true, Papa?" Her voice was filled with trepidation, causing Erik to look up at her sharply. He shifted slightly, his body tense, ready to spring out of the chair. Christine only shook her head to assure him that she was fine. She was not sure what her father was going to ask about; it might be nothing. Gripping the phone tightly in her left hand, she waited.

"A man was found in the apartment three nights ago and he held a gun at you! Is it true?"

Charles's voice had risen with anger and she pulled the phone away from her ear with a wince. "Oh that. Yes, it's true." She had foolishly hoped her father would never know the truth of what had happened.

"Where was Erik? I'm paying him enough that he should be there to protect you. What was he doing?"

Christine looked over at Erik and grimaced. This was not going to end well. "He was with me, Papa. He saved me from any injury. If he hadn't been there, I probably would have been shot. But it's really quite funny," she began, knowing it was not at all funny, "The man in Erik's apartment was not after either of us. Not really. He was just planting some listening devices and we were all simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. I still don't know who ordered they be placed in Erik's apartment."

"But how did it happen?" Charles persisted, not at all eased by Christine's attempt at reassurance. He was not going to allow her to sway him from his path with talk of the fate she had been saved from. "How did Erik allow that man to hold a gun to your head?"

Her face red with embarrassment, Christine glanced up at Erik. It was almost as if he could hear the conversation. He looked as uncomfortable as she felt. "Erik was a little distracted."

"Doing what?"

"Kissing me," she said quietly, her face now bright red.

Erik moaned with embarrassment and hid his face in his hands.

"Why was he kissing you? Are you dating?"

Christine sighed, her expression becoming stubborn. "Yes, we're dating. Erik and I are in love."

Charles paused for a long moment. "I don't think this is a good idea, Christine. He's so blinded by his love for you that he's incapable of protecting you. If he hadn't been so distracted he would have done what was necessary and ensured that man never posed any threat to you. He would never have allowed you to walk into danger the way he did. He allowed the man to hold a gun in your face! I will arrange for Erik to be replaced. You will have a new bodyguard as soon as I can arrange it."

"But why?"

"You were nearly assaulted because of his carelessness!"

"Erik will do anything to keep me safe. Who better to protect me than the man who loves me?" Christine tried to reason as she struggled to hold back tears.

Seeing her tears, Erik left his chair and walked over to Christine's desk. She was too shocked to move so he just placed a supporting hand on the back of her neck.

"That is true. But he also lacks the rational thought required of a true bodyguard. Where you are concerned, he's too emotional. I will accept a position on his behalf as a guard at the Iranian Consulate in America. Enjoy your last days with him, Christine, because as soon as I can get your new bodyguard there, Erik will go."

"But, Papa, I love him! Please, don't send him away! I need to be with Erik!" She could not let him go to America, not when the general feeling towards his nationality was so unfriendly.

"It's done. You will realise I'm right and thank me for it one day."

"No, I won't! I will never thank you and I will never forgive you for what you have done!" she shouted as tears pooled in her eyes, not caring if she sounded like a child.

Hanging up from the phone call, she stood up and stepped into Erik's arms. His face was drawn, his expression tight as he realised exactly what was about to happen. Tears slid down his cheeks as he wrapped his arms around Christine and kissed the top of her head. He had decided to stay, only to find that he was about to be sent away.